Single mom fends off attacker by telling him "God loves you"

Copyright 2013 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

(WXYZ) -

A single mom was sleeping in her bedroom around 4:45 in the morning on Monday when an intruder broke into her house in the 4900 block of Cornell in Dearborn Heights.

According to Dearborn Heights police, the 38-year-old woman was assaulted.

Neighbors told 7 Action News what happened next is unbelievable to them.

Julie Wilding who lives near the victim said the single mother started preaching the bible to her attacker and telling him "God loves you, you don't want to do this."

Wilding said that the victim told her that after she started preaching to him, the intruder got up and walked away and out of the home.

"I told her God was watching out for her," said Wilding. "Someone was watching out for her. To be able to walk away from something like this... by witnessing to somebody and changing the course of what they planned on doing… to just walking away."

The attacker left the victim without seriously harming her. According to her neighbors, the victim's daughter not harmed at all.

"She's a very good mother," said Wilding. "She spends all the time with her daughter… special needs daughter. She's a very religious person. She's very strong in her faith… a really good person."

The intruder escaped through the basement window.

Investigators discovered footprints outside of the home, which led to a possible car parked a little north of the victim's home.

Those who live near the incident told 7 Action News they live in a tight-knit neighborhood and what happened here is alarming.

"To have a violation like that in this neighborhood… as close as we are," said neighbor Joe Kowalski. "There are people that I've known… their children have taken over the houses. If there is someone who needs anything they can go to a neighbor's house or the neighbor can find someone who does know."

Neighbors said after what took place, they will be watching out for each other even closer.

Right now, police do not have a really good description of the suspect, but they're hoping someone in the area does have more information and will call Dearborn Heights police.

Copyright 2013 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.